


kindred spirits

by arochill



Category: Minecraft (Video Game), Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Adoption, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Angst, Family, Family Bonding, Family Dynamics, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Non-Graphic Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-13
Updated: 2020-10-11
Packaged: 2021-03-06 16:28:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 9,042
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26441956
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/arochill/pseuds/arochill
Summary: They were his family.In which one man leaves his dream job and learns that taking care of three monster children may be better than anything else he could ever ask for.
Relationships: No Romantic Relationship(s)
Comments: 337
Kudos: 3699
Collections: Completed stories I've read, MCYT Fic Rec





	1. phil

Phil had chosen his career path a long time ago. When he was younger so many people called monster hunters heroes. They were the ones keeping the peace in the world, and they were widely regarded as people that were stronger than anybody – people that were _kinder_ than anybody. They saved people. They stopped towns from being burnt down, stopped wars from breaking out between the opposing realms. When Phil was younger, he had been mesmerised by the idea of helping people the way they did.

When he signed himself up, it had been without a second of hesitation.

He had been a teenager when he had started. He wouldn’t say that he had been naive – he had known that what he would be seeing wouldn’t be something for the faint of heart. He knew that death would be something he had to deal with. He knew that the monsters that he was sent to exterminate would be horrific and nightmare inducing. He had known that from the start, and in the years since he had started nothing appeared to change it.

He was a hero. Philza, they called him. It had just been a nickname at first, but the more towns came to see him, the more the name seemed to stick for the civilians.

Phil was a hero, a man unafraid to walk into fire and fight off the monsters that came from a realm of death and destruction. And he had believed from the first day he had enrolled that this would be where he remained for the years to come.

So why was it that this mission – a mission that should have been _simple,_ was turning out like this?

Phil held his gun with practice ease, used to its weight and ready to fire it at a moment's notice. Phil had nearly passed by the alleyway, but one of his partners had grabbed hold of his sleeve and had quietly directed Phil’s eyes in its direction. Phil’s eyes had narrowed, immediately spotting the shape of shadows moving against the wall of the alley.

It should have been simple.

But as soon as Phil stepped foot into that alleyway, as soon as he spotted the cause of the shadows, his mouth went dry and his grip on his gun slackened. And, in that moment, all thoughts of heroics and saving the day left his mind.

Because the so-called ‘monsters’, the things he had been hunting, were _children._

It only took a moment for everything Phil had worked for to be stripped away.

He had seen many monsters in his lifetime – creatures that came from the depths of hell, wanting nothing more than to destroy the humans and take their world for their own. He had seen the way they acted when forced to take action; the bloodthirst, the hunger, the _anger._ He had seen it in the eyes of every single one of them, and he had taken them down all the same.

But in the eyes of the three in front of him, huddled into a corner, all he could see was _fear._

They were only _children._

Phil had been doing his job for years now. He had seen many children lose their home to monsters, he had seen the horror in their eyes and the terror that felt even after the monster had left. He had years worth of experience with dealing with children who just needed _help_ and it had always been his favourite part of his job. He had joined to help people, and out of everyone, children always seemed to break Phil’s heart the most.

And the three in front of him — they weren’t monsters.

They were just children.

Next to him, Phil heard a gun be loaded.

And in a single moment, he made a decision that would change the rest of his life.

He looked into the fear filled eyes of the children in front of him, and he spun to the side, slamming the gun out of his partners hands. Before either of his partner’s had a chance to react, they were crashing to the ground unconscious. Phil looked down at them in shock, stepping back in reaction to his own actions, and then he turned back and faced the three kids in front of him.

He was sure that the shock on the faces of the children was reflected on his own face behind his visor.

Phil swallowed.

He knelt down, ignoring the two unconscious bodies at his side.

And he outstretched a hand.

“Hey, little guys, I’m Phil. What are your names?”

If Phil had been asked years ago what he expected to be doing at 32, he would respond with a monster hunter. Of course he would. It had been his dream job since he was young, and there had been no other choice that he would ever go for. So the fact that he was in one of his safe houses, sitting on a couch in front of a trio of monster children, was nothing he _ever_ would have thought could happen.

He had never been much of a family person. He preferred to go out exploring, helping people, rather than sticking around in one place. He was never able to keep long relationships, but that had never been much of a concern for him.

Having kids was the _last_ thing on his mind.

Their names were Techno, Wilbur and Tommy. They were scared, lonely, and the only people they knew and were able to trust were each other. Phil had been alive for a while, but seeing the way the kids held close to one another broke Phil’s heart.

They didn’t trust him.

It made sense, and he couldn’t feel bad about it. If anything, he was _glad_ that they were distrustful of him. It meant that they knew what the world was like. It meant that it would give him time to learn more about them – it would give him time to understand the children he had given up his life’s work for.

And he had that time, because not only did _he_ have an entire organisation watching out for him, but the children would obviously not survive much longer out on their own. Phil, even if it _did_ upset him that he had lost all he had worked for, couldn’t blame the children for his decisions.

It was strange.

None of the kids were the same, and within days of the four of them living together Phil understood that despite their need for each other none of them were the same.

Techno was cautious. Out of the three of the kids, he was the most unsure of Phil and their circumstances, and he was the self proclaimed protector of their group. Phil wasn’t sure if Techno was ever going to trust him. Wilbur was easy going. Phil found that the boy didn’t mind him, and he was glad that he was able to be tolerated by at least one of them, even if the boy liked to use his siren abilities around the house way too much. Tommy was… a trial, getting used to. The smallest of them all, but the most chaotic of them all. The small amount of valuables that Phil owned weren’t safe with him around, and he was louder than them all. The first time Phil heard Wilbur yell, it was because of Tommy. Even then, Tommy was one of the kindest people Phil had met, and he didn’t mind spending time with the youngest of the three kids.

Phil wasn’t a dad. He had never been father material, and he was the last thing that three traumatised monster kids needed for paternal advice. But, as he found, taking care of children wasn’t something he minded.

It took just over a month.

Phil knew the kids had nightmares. With them living together in such an inclosed space, it wasn’t difficult to hear the sound of the kids quietly talking to one another after one of them woke up in panic. He didn’t say anything, knowing they would prefer to keep their privacy, and he just hoped that one day he could help.

That day came sooner than he expected, and with the kid he least would have thought to come to him.

When Techno woke him in the middle of the night, unable to meet his eyes even as his entire body seemed to shake, Phil had been surprised. But he had said nothing as he lifted up his sheets and allowed the boy to tuck himself beneath Phil's much larger arms.

Techno didn’t say a word about it in the morning, and so Phil kept quiet about it as well.

But if he was smiling more than normal, well, that was only between him and Techno.

Within days of Techno arriving in his bedroom, he was woken by both Wilbur and Tommy on seperate nights, both terrified and hoping for reassurance. Like with Techno, Phil didn’t say a word about it.

The safe house began to become more than just a place to stay hidden.

Phil found that cooking with Techno was something the both of them enjoyed, something that allowed them both to forget about their past and just relax for a moment. He found that Wilbur enjoyed writing songs, that he didn’t always like to use his siren abilities and he just liked to sing to himself. He found that Tommy was one of the most interesting conversationalists he had ever met and that the kid _never_ ran out of things to talk about.

He found that, despite their origins, they really were just _kids_ that needed a home that wouldn’t just throw them away because of who they were.

He found that, within only months of knowing the kids, they had long since taken his heart.

Phil chose his career a very long time ago.

It hadn’t been a difficult decision. He wanted to be a hero. He wanted to _help_ people. He wanted to keep the peace between the humans and the monsters. And his career had allowed him to do that – it allowed him to save people from the evil monsters that did nothing but hate and destroy for no reason but it being in their nature.

Monsters were evil. He was the good guy.

Phil had thought that for a long time, but he knew better now. Techno, Wilbur and Tommy showed him that. They were wild, far rowdier than he was used to, but they were kinder than near anyone Phil had met in his many years with the organisation. And they were children who Phil found he cared a _lot_ for.

He has chosen his life, his future, a long time ago. But three kids, three terror filled, wary kids, taught him that what he had chosen for his life could change with a single moment.

And, even though he was on the run, even though the kids he was taking care of were some of the most dangerous kids he could pick up, he was okay with it.

He didn’t mind it a single bit.

(They were his home now.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you to @Limes_Smile on twitter for their absolutely amazing au. this is based around it :D check them out ! 
> 
> three more chapters remaining. let’s go.


	2. wilbur

Wilbur knew what humans were like. He knew that they were disgusting creatures who would do whatever was needed in order to get rid of the people that were different from them. In doing so, they didn’t realise that they were continuing to destroy the world themselves. Wilbur hated living there. The smoke in the air hurt his lungs, and it was difficult for him and Techno to protect Tommy when the entire world seemed out to get them.

Wilbur didn’t like fighting people. He wasn’t like Techno, he didn’t have a chance against the humans that were so much bigger than he was. Sure, his abilities as a siren made him stronger than the normal monster, but it _never_ worked on more than one person – and when they were attacked, they always seemed to be a mob of humans. Techno was the only one who had a _chance_ at fending them off, and Wilbur was always behind him trying to keep Tommy out of their line of sight.

The three of them were all each other had.

Wilbur knew that there was a lot of stress on Techno’s shoulders. He didn’t have time to rest. He was constantly on guard and, as much as it pained him to admit it, Wilbur didn’t remember the last time Techno had been able to relax. It hurt, because Wilbur knew that he couldn’t help despite how much he wanted to.

This wasn’t a world that wanted them, so they had to work to keep living. They knew what they were, they understood that they weren’t needed, but they weren’t going to take the treatment of them lying down.

Wilbur wouldn’t admit it aloud, especially to his two siblings in everything but blood, but he was terrified. Terrified of the humans. Terrified of losing the only people he cared about. Terrified of the monster he could become if he let go of his control for too long. But, for Tommy and Techno, Wilbur did his best to keep that terror to himself. Techno may be far stronger than him, but both of them were still younger than Wilbur was. He would always do whatever he could to protect them.

His name was Phil.

He was terrifying. He was double the size of them, and he was wearing the uniform of the group of people Wilbur had seen kill _many_ monsters without a hint of hesitation. Wilbur hadn’t trusted him as far as he could throw him, even when the man took down the two others uniformed people next to him. If anything, Wilbur’s suspicion of him only grew at that action.

But using his soft, innocent face and acting like he was a naive kid was something Wilbur had more than enough practice doing. Wilbur was the first to take hold of Phil’s hand and tell the man his name.

Phil was strange.

He threw away his gun the second he caught the way the three of them were looking at it constantly. He put his uniform in a closet in his safe house that even he didn’t open. He opened his house to kids he met in the middle of an alley that he didn’t know the _first thing_ about. Wilbur couldn’t understand it, no matter how hard he tried.

Phil didn’t even seem to realise that Wilbur had used his powers on him from the very first day they had met. Wilbur found that Phil trusted him _without_ the hesitation that usually came from the siren’s influence. It didn’t make sense.

Techno didn’t trust Phil. Wilbur understood that. Techno didn’t trust anyone. He woke in the middle of the night in a panic and Wilbur knew that it was because of the unfamiliarity of their surroundings.

Tommy was a different story, but Tommy had always been the most trusting of the three of them. Even then, Tommy was smarter than he let on. Wilbur knew that his youngest brother, as chaotic and loud as he was, knew that the possibility of this man trying to kill them was always there.

The three of them had always been on their own. All they had was one another, and that had always been how they believed it to always be.

Phil was an outlier. He was _human._

Wilbur knew what humans did to sirens. He had seen the muzzles. He had seen them die. There were no _kind_ humans. The world didn’t work like that. They were more monstrous than the actual _monsters_ were, and the idea of that not being true seemed like an impossibility.

Phil, Wilbur was beginning to realise, was different.

Wilbur knew the man had killed monsters before. It wasn’t a difficult thing to guess. But Wilbur had watched Techno do the same to the humans that tried to hurt him, that tried to hurt _Tommy,_ so he tried to understand.

Phil seemed to actually _care_ about them.

Wilbur watched, and he waited.

Techno disappeared one night, leaving their joined bedroom without a word to either Wilbur or Tommy. For the first five minutes, Wilbur had laid there absolutely terrified, immensely worried, listening carefully for the sound of footsteps. It was when he heard the door to Phil’s bedroom across the hall open quietly that Wilbur realised what he was doing.

When Techno snuck back into their room in the morning, Wilbur was still awake.

But he kept his eyes closed and his breathing even, and he wondered if maybe this place, this small home in the middle of nowhere, could be permanent. When he saw Techno that next morning, his brother was more relaxed than Wilbur had ever seen him. And Wilbur found that the answer to his question just might be yes.

Wilbur knew that humans hated what he could do. They preferred making sure that he couldn’t say a word because they were _petrified_ that he would take control of their minds and leave them a shell of themselves. Nevermind the fact that his power couldn’t be used like that. It didn’t matter how old he was, the idea of a siren controlling them made him a prime target. He learnt how to be quiet, he learnt to ignore the sadness in Techno and Tommy’s faces when they spotted his eyes pausing on a broken guitar left behind in the towns that they travelled through.

He knew that, even when he was older and bigger and more powerful, singing for _himself_ was something that would always be impossible.

He didn’t have a choice, not in a world like this one.

Phil…

Phil gave him a guitar. It was old. It was obvious that it hadn’t been used in years. It was covered in dust and cobwebs and was missing a string and it didn’t sound very good. There were so many better instruments he could have been given.

Still, Wilbur cried.

Phil was strange.

He wasn’t like any other human Wilbur had met before in his life. Phil was dangerous, sure. Wilbur knew that he could fight, and that he could kill, and that there was definitely a gun hidden in the back of the man’s cabinet, but above all else —

Phil was _kind._

Wilbur played his first song – his first proper, handwritten song, to an audience of one. Phil had sat there, a smile on his face, and he had looked so _proud_ when Wilbur had finished. It had left Wilbur both emotionally drained and so, _so_ happy. No one had ever looked at him like that before.

He kept that guitar in his room now, cleaned and looked after with great care, mounted on his wall.

(When Phil gifted him his first proper guitar, a beautiful, _handcrafted_ thing, made just for him, Phil was the first one to hear him use it.)

If Wilbur began to call Phil ‘dad’ in his mind, that was no one’s business but his own.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oh my god thank you all so much for over 1000 hits on this? i’m so, so thankful that people actually enjoyed it. two more chapters to go. next week maybe? i hope you enjoyed this one too!!


	3. techno

The idea that at any point in time he could lose both Tommy and Wilbur was something that  _ terrified  _ Techno, even if he would never admit it aloud. He knew that he could protect them but he also knew that there were people that hunted monsters like he and his brothers down relentlessly and he wouldn’t be able to fight off every single one of them. However strong Techno was, however much power he had burning under his skin waiting to be released, they had weapons and were bigger than all three of them.

It was tiring.

Techno knew how to fight. It was what he was best at. It was the only thing he able to provide Tommy and Wilbur with, and he pushed himself to get better so no one could hurt them again. He prayed to a god he didn’t believe in that his brothers didn’t remember the first days of when they had arrived him the humans world but he knew that was almost impossible.

The world wasn’t kind enough to remove those memories from their minds.

If there was one thing Techno was able to remember with a painful clarity, it was the blood. It was the terror on Wilbur and Tommy’s faces when the people in black uniforms tried to send them to the void without even a hint of hesitation. It was the first time he had been the cause of someone losing the light in their eyes. It had been a long time since then, but that moment appeared almost everytime that he slept.

Wilbur and he fought over it often. It was a recurring argument between them, and was the  _ only  _ argument that was impossible for either to accept the result of. Wilbur wanted him to sleep. Wilbur wanted him to forget about the past and focus on the future. Wilbur wanted him to be safe. Wilbur wanted him to stop needing to hurt other people in order to protect them.

But however much Wilbur wanted something, it wouldn’t change what they were. They were monsters, and monsters they would stay.

Techno would remain their protector. The blood on his hands was permanent, no matter what he did. So he accepted it. Wilbur and Tommy didn’t know of the many battles that he had fought in the shadows to continue to protect them. And he was fine with that. It was better that way.

Techno knew he was strong. He knew there was a power beneath his skin that pushed him to battle more, win more, spill more blood. Every moment he was awake it fought to take control of him.

What did it mean to have more power than you knew what to do with?

Techno knew that if he accepted it Wilbur and Tommy would lose him and all he was within seconds. And, despite the differences between the three of them, despite the fights that they had, he wouldn’t be leaving them anytime soon. So, he fought back against his very nature. And he held tight to the necklace that was the only item he had from the home they could no longer go back to.

Techno was against agreeing to Phil’s help. He had seen what people in that uniform could do, and he knew that if this man got close to them Tommy wouldn’t be letting him go anytime soon. There was no guarantee that Phil wasn’t just trying to help them in order to take them in for experimentation. There was no guarantee that this man didn’t hold the same hatred for monsters that the rest of his kind felt.

It was only due to the fact that Techno had long since had multiple encounters with the people in that uniform that he accepted the help. He knew the weak points to the armour, even if that was a fact that neither Tommy or Wilbur were aware of.

(Some of the fights Techno fought remained something only he knew.)

All Techno was able to acknowledge when they accepted Phil’s invitation to stay with him for the time being was a safer choice than remaining on the streets.

(Techno had never seen a place as clean and…  _ homely  _ as the place Phil took them to. It didn’t make Techno trust the man, but when Techno held a little tighter to his necklace, well— no one knew enough about it to ask.)

Phil didn’t pressure him to do things. He didn’t ask Techno to fight, he didn’t try to persuade Techno to sleep. It made no sense to him.

He was used to pain, and blood, and fighting, and bags under his eyes that he couldn’t remove no matter how hard he tried. He was used to working, day in and day out, to provide for two brothers – both in terms of protection and stealing the food they needed to stay alive.

Instead, within only days of them arriving in Phil’s safehouse, the only thing Phil asked him for help with was cooking food. Techno knew how to do a lot. What he didn’t know, however, was how to cook. It just wasn’t what he was made for. But Phil didn’t laugh at him for it, he didn’t act like Techno was any lesser. He just guided him through each step gently, calmly, and with a smile on his face that Techno had never seen directed towards him before.

It was… calming. Standing in the kitchen with the window open in front of him, listening to the birds outside the house as he peeled potatoes, gave him something he had never had before. It gave him rest.

Phil offered to help him start a farm at the back of the safehouse.

(It was the small things that meant the most to him.)

Techno had nightmares, and they were filled with fire and blood. He was getting more sleep than he had ever had in his life and while it did help, the nightmares only got worse. His life before coming to the human realm hadn’t been much better than it was now, but back then he had been alone. Wilbur and Tommy hadn’t been people he had known until only days before they had been thrown through the portal.

There was a reason he didn’t like to sleep. And there was a reason that he didn’t like to let Tommy and Wilbur out of his sight.

Phil left his bedroom door open at night. It was a stupid decision, at least in Techno’s opinion, but…

Techno had never needed to sleep with anyone at night before. He was stronger than that – he had to be strong for Wilbur and Tommy who needed one another at night more often than he did. But with every night that passed by, the nightmares only got worse. With every night that passed by, Techno forced himself to remain awake so he didn’t have to experience those dreams.

Phil had offered it the first night. His room was always open to them, no matter the reason. Techno had ignored it at the time, as had Tommy and Wilbur.

But, in the same way Techno believed he’d never be able to trust Phil, the man gave something to Techno that he hadn’t had in a long time. Comfort. And, somehow, Techno believed that Phil would turn him away.

When Techno stepped into Phil’s room that night, Phil had been awake. The man had instantly put down the book he was holding onto his bedside table, and hadn’t even asked why Techno was there. He just looked at Techno’s expression, at the bags under his eyes, and lifted up the sheets for Techno to join him.

(It was the best sleep Techno had in years. It was the first night in years where nightmares hadn’t plagued his dreams.)

Techno didn’t know what it meant to be able to have time. He was always running from something. Always fighting. The power beneath his skin was always pushing for him to cause more death, more destruction.

But, with every day that passed, Phil helped him create a potato farm at the back of their house. Phil gave him a place to go to when his dreams  _ hurt.  _ With every day that passed,Techno watched as Tommy and Wilbur got  _ happier.  _ Happier than they had been in years.

It was…

Techno hadn’t realised that it was possible to feel as calm, as unpressured as he felt when he was in that house with people that were nothing less than his family.

(He held tight to his necklace. It was the last thing he had left of his original home. But now,  _ now…  _ he had a new home. And, he knew, he wouldn’t be losing Wilbur or Tommy anytime soon. Here, he could protect them. Here, they could grow without fear of people coming to kill them. Here, Phil had given him something to ignore the power that called for destruction that lived beneath his skin.)

(Here, they could be a proper family.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this was difficult. i don’t know why. i’m glad i finished it though, and i hope it lived up to what i already wrote.
> 
> (tommy next.)
> 
> hope you enjoyed!


	4. tommy

Chaos and mayhem ran through Tommy’s blood and he didn’t mind it one bit. It was what he was born to do and unlike his older brothers he knew how to accept it. It was  _ fun.  _ Stealing from the humans that put him and Wilbur and Techno down was  _ fun.  _ They deserved to suffer for the pain they had caused them for nothing more than what they were born as. They had more than enough to share, and Tommy’s brother’s worked harder than they  _ ever  _ would.

His brothers didn’t think he could protect himself. Tommy thought that they were idiots for thinking that, and he worked hard to earn his stay at their sides. He knew he was weaker than they were, at least in terms of powers. His trickster nature was nothing compared to Wilbur’s voice or the bloodlust that ran through Techno’s veins. 

But Tommy knew what they didn’t. He knew that his smaller size would allow him to get in and out of buildings easier, would allow him to escape undetected. He knew that his tail was an extra appendage for stealing from people that they would never expect. He knew how to distract people in ways that his brothers never would. He knew how to make people angry enough to disorientate them – confuse them enough that even with his much smaller, much weaker, size he could still knock them down.

They protected him a lot. They didn’t think he understood the world that they were in. They thought that he didn’t realise the danger that they were in, and they sought to protect him from it. They were stupid, his brothers.

None of them forgot that there were constantly people after them, but neither his brothers nor Phil seemed all too concerned with it. They had faith in their abilities.

Tommy wasn’t a fool.

The area that Phil’s house existed in wasn’t as obscured as they liked to believe. Sure, it existed in the middle of nowhere, but Tommy had done enough exploring outside the borders to see the people that wandered through the land only a few miles away from the house. He had seen the men and women wearing the uniform they had met Phil in.

(He had seen the wanted posters with Phil’s face on them.)

Tommy wasn't an idiot.

He knew he wouldn’t be able to take them down without the help of either Phil or his brothers. The uniformed people had weapons, and all Tommy had to hurt them was his claws. But distracting people was what he did best. Making them confused and lost was something he could do better than anyone else.

(He was an imp, after all.)

They lost their map within only hours of Tommy spotting them, and when they found it again the location of the safehouse was gone. Tommy had needed to hide his snickers from where he was precariously sitting at the top of one of the trees. They ended up turning back, and if they got smacked in the head by a few apples on their way out, well – it was definitely due to the animals in the forest.

Tommy made sure to get rid of their footprints so they would have no idea which way they had been if they decided to come back.

Wilbur and Techno were far too overprotective for their own good, and Tommy learnt the same was true of Phil when he had bragged about his accomplishments that day.

It was weird, being cared about even though he wasn’t bleeding or crying because he didn’t want to die.

The next time, Tommy kept it to himself.

Tommy was a monster and he wasn’t ashamed of it in the slightest.

It gave him an edge on other people that they wouldn’t expect otherwise and aside from the fact that people wanted to kill him for it he wouldn’t change it for the world. He knew that Techno and Wilbur would say the opposite.

What it didn’t give him, however, was a normal life. He was Tommy though, and he didn’t need normal!

(Liar.)

The outskirts of the safehouse were easy to navigate when you spent as much time in them as Tommy did.

He knew the way to the closest village. He knew the quickest way to get there, and he knew the exact times in which he could leave for the village without drawing the attention of his siblings.

Tommy understood two things in life.

One: his brothers didn’t trust humans. Phil was the exception to this rule.

And two: his brothers had never met Tubbo before. As such, they wouldn’t understand that Phil was not the only exception.

Tubbo was—

Tubbo was his friend. Tubbo didn’t look at him with fear in his eyes, he didn’t go screaming for the bigger, more powerful humans to help him. Tubbo smiled at him every time Tommy snuck away from the safehouse to visit him. It was… different. Tubbo felt like home in a way that even after weeks with Phil he couldn’t completely acknowledge yet.

Tubbo laughed at his jokes. He looked at the fire that Tommy was able to hold in his hands in awe. He talked to Tommy like he was no different to him. Tubbo made Tommy smile bigger than he had since he and his brothers had arrived in this realm.

Tommy knew what his family would think if they learnt what he was doing.

(His brothers would grow scared and they would want to run. They would leave Phil behind in a heartbeat if it meant Tommy was safe. Tommy wasn’t sure how he felt about that.)

Home was a strange concept to Tommy. He had a home with Techno and Wilbur, even when they were on the streets and had no roof over their heads. He had a home in the safehouse under the protective watch of Phil, as the man taught him about a world that he wasn’t sure he’d ever get used to. He had a home at the side of Tubbo as they wandered around a forest and acted like there was no one else in the world but them.

He didn’t remember his time before coming to the human realm. He didn’t remember having a home before meeting the people he considered his family now.

(Sometimes he wondered if there was someone out there in the world looking for him.)

Tubbo wanted to meet his family.

Tommy… didn’t know how he felt about that.

He trusted Tubbo unconditionally.

(Tubbo was his home.)

The day Tommy led Tubbo through the woods towards his house, it was snowing.

The day Tommy led Tubbo through the woods towards his house, Techno was farming potatoes in their backyard whilst Wilbur played guitar to Phil on their porch.

The day Tommy led Tubbo through the woods towards his house, the day he introduced his family to his best friend, he watched as pride filled their expressions at what he had managed to accomplish all on his own – even if they were still wary of humans other than Phil. They had dinner together and Tubbo smiled at him brightly and told him that Tommy’s family was amazing, and he didn’t look scared even when he saw what Techno and Wilbur could do.

That day, Tommy had smiled brighter than he ever had, laughed harder than he ever had, and his family were there with him throughout it all.

(The day Tommy led Tubbo through the woods towards his house, the village nearby only saw a monster leading a child to his death. That day, they picked up their pitchforks and lit their torches and came for the family that only wanted to be safe.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i’m sorry


	5. family

To understand the events that occurred, you need to understand the lives that were lived by the people these events affected. (Perhaps you already know most of the story.)

You need to think back to a time when Phil still believed what he was doing was right. To a time when Wilbur, Techno and Tommy were feared because of _what_ they were but weren’t hunted down because of _who_ they were. To a time when a safehouse sat in the middle of nowhere, abandoned and forgotten about by its owner. To a time when a young boy played with his bees on the outskirts of a village and no one thought about him for even a second.

What you have to understand first is that there was a time when monsters didn’t even _exist_ in the human realm. This was a long time ago. Now, the very idea of a monster in their midst scared them half to death and had humans arming themselves and their homes in case of a possible attack. It was unlikely that a house was without a weapon of some sort — usually a pitchfork.

(Sometimes, very rarely, a gun.)

The second thing you have to understand is that people won’t hesitate to fall prey to their own fears. They will make up circumstances in their mind and will not change what they believe even if the truth is the complete opposite. This, in itself, is a frightening concept.

The third and final thing that you have to understand is that even before any of Phil’s future sons had met each other — before they had met _Phil,_ they understood the importance of family.

These are facts that have not, and will not, change.

What Phil, Wilbur, Techno and Tommy understood was this: They would not leave each other behind.

_In a world that hated your very existence and everything you stood for, what do you do?_

There is a price everyone must pay for existing and it all comes due eventually.

If there is one thing that is universally acknowledged, it is that life isn’t fair. Families are torn apart, lives are lost, and people are never the same as they were as they had been when their lives had started. The universe is not fair, and that’s just the way that life works.

(Sometimes though, very, very rarely, the universe is kind.)

(This is something you must remember.)

People, when they are scared, are irrational. They do not think about the fact that these _monsters_ they were so afraid were only children. They did not think about the fact that the child they were trying to “protect” was someone they themselves had hurt many times in the past with their ignorance.

This is simply human nature.

When the first hints of fire could be seen on the horizon, Phil knew they had been found.

When the first sounds of a riot came to the porch of his home, Phil was unprepared. But, even with his months of being stationary, even with his months of taking care of his kids, he knew how to fight.

(There was a reason he hadn’t thrown out his weapons, even if he never wanted to use them again.)

In a room only a few metres away from where Phil was sitting on the couch, his kids were asleep. Tommy had convinced Tubbo to stay the night and Wilbur and Techno wanted to get to know more about the human boy their youngest sibling had befriended so they had allowed it. The older two of the brothers were asleep in Phil’s room, leaving a gap between them for Phil to lay in when he was tired. The house was quiet, the complete opposite to the laughter and talk that had existed for so long during the day.

(Phil wished he could give them a normal life.)

The room he kept his weaponry in was locked. It had been locked since the very first day they had arrived. There was dust on the handle of the door and the wooden floor he stepped onto within the room creaked with disuse. When his eyes landed on the first of the weapons, he drew in a sharp breath.

He would never be ready for this.

But Phil wasn’t going to let them hurt his family.

What you need to understand is that it wasn’t a war. This was no battle fought over land rights or freedom. It was no fight with soldiers on both sides, armed to the teeth and ready to kill. It was just a terrified village, filled with prejudice and hate for what they didn’t understand, against a family that fought to stay alive in a world that didn’t want them.

Phil stood before the townspeople, fingers tight around his gun. His heart felt like it was about to beat out of his chest but he held his ground. He kept the door to the house behind him, constantly aware that at any moment the door could be opened. He prayed to any god that was out there that his kids would stay asleep— that they would remain in bed, unaware of the danger right outside their home, until Phil was able to make sure they were safe again.

(He knew, even as he stood there, that he wouldn’t be that lucky.)

“You’re Philza.” A voice said from without the crowd. People responded in quiet mutters of disbelief, of awe.

They looked at him and all the village saw was a traitor. All they saw was a man harbouring monsters that had to be destroyed for the good of mankind

Phil breathed. He steadied himself.

And he fired into the air.

“Leave. I won’t ask twice.”

And within moments, the tense peace that had existed fell apart. And the crowd moved forwards as one.

Phil had made his bed, and he wasn’t going to hesitate to lie in it.

(He would do whatever it took to keep them safe.)

Wilbur was always prepared to run. Even though he trusted Phil, even though the man had been nothing but kind, he always knew that there was a chance their lives would return to how it had been before they met the man. Wilbur kept a bag in every room of the house, all filled with the same supplies — non perishable food, water, some spare clothes and a blanket. It was just in case.

But when he heard a bullet fire into the air that night, he was glad he had done so. He scrambled out of Phil’s bed, shouting Techno awake, and he grabbed for the bag in the corner of the room before his brother was even fully aware of his surroundings.

“Wilbur—?”

Wilbur grabbed hold of Techno’s sleeve, and he dragged him out of the bedroom and towards where Tommy was sleeping without a word.

Outside, they could hear the crackle of fire and the shouts of people, and Wilbur only moved faster.

“Tommy! Wake up! Now!” Wilbur shouted as he shoved open the door.

Tommy shot up, and next to him so did Tubbo. Wilbur didn’t pay the human any attention as he moved forwards quickly, yanking Tommy out of bed.

(Outside, Phil couldn’t hold them all back. One of the villagers held their torch to the wood of the house, and the first hints of fire began to spread.)

“We’re going.”

Tommy, confused and concerned and _terrified_ , didn’t have time to question his brother. All he knew was that there was panic in Wilbur’s eyes and there were sounds outside he didn’t understand and that something very, _very_ bad was happening. He pulled Tubbo out of bed just in time as Wilbur began to move again.

(On the wall of the room, left behind, sat a beautiful, cared for guitar. It was left forgotten.)

Techno, now beginning to understand the situation as he picked up the sound of fighting outside, led the way. He grabbed a knife left out on the table from their meal earlier, red eyes narrowed and concentrated. He would keep them safe, no matter the cost.

Wilbur, carefully, glanced out a window.

A gunshot rang out.

(To protect a home, a family, sometimes there are casualties. Especially in a world like this one.)

“Dad!”

The sky was alight, burning an orange just as bright as the home that had been set ablaze. A potato farm, cared for over many months, was trampled and ruined beyond any hope of repair. And a family watched as the man that had brought them safety fell to the ground with a hand clutching his chest.

Techno heard the roar of blood in his ears.

He couldn’t look away. His eyes were locked on Phil, bleeding out on the ground, and with every moment his tunnel vision grew worse. He didn’t notice as his bottom canines grew, forming sharpened tusks, and he didn’t notice the fact that he was moving for the door until he was already outside and tackling the person who had shot Phil to the ground.

His vision was red.

(As were his hands. His mouth was wet and tasted of iron.)

He didn’t hear Wilbur behind him, screaming, crying as the siren crouched beside their dad. He didn’t hear Tommy shouting, trying to get Techno’s attention. He didn’t see Tubbo watching it all in horror.

He didn’t know that behind him the house he called home was burning down, falling apart, as fire consumed it.

(His memories were already filled with fire. History repeats itself.)

Techno looked up from the man beneath him that was slowly bleeding out, and he bared his teeth at the crowd that was backing up quicker now that he had caught their eyes. There was terror in their expressions, and Techno knew he was the cause. He was glad.

They called _him_ the monster? After what they had done to the kindest man Techno had ever met—?

_Phil._

Techno moved faster than he ever had in his life, moving off the man under him and nearly crashing right into Tommy who was standing behind him, trying to get his attention. Together, they ran for Phil who Wilbur was trying to get off the porch that was beginning to burn. Techno dropped the knife he hadn't realised he was still holding and, with all the strength he possessed, picked up his dad.

And he looked around, panicked, for a safe space.

He found himself staring at Tubbo who, in the time he had been preoccupied, had moved to stand in front of the mob. Beside him, Wilbur and Tommy were frozen in place.

The world seemed to go still.

Tommy held the knife Techno had dropped in shaking hands. Tubbo, under the eyes of the people from the village, looked smaller than he already was. Tommy wanted to run forwards, he wanted to pull Tubbo away from the people that had hurt his dad, he wanted to put the knife to use.

But Wilbur’s grip on his shoulder was tight and terrified and that left Tommy afraid. Wilbur hadn’t stopped crying.

Tubbo’s voice was quiet, but everyone heard it.

“Leave them alone. Go away. They’re not monsters! You are!”

He held his arms out as if to protect the family behind him. Tommy wanted to cry.

(He already was.)

The crowd didn’t leave. They only got closer, their grips on their weapons tightening.

Tubbo took a wobbly step back. And he looked over his shoulder and met Tommy’s eyes.

“You need to go, Tommy. Help Phil. Please. Go.”

Tommy began to shake his head, tail flailing behind him with his panic. Tubbo turned back towards the crowd.

(He didn’t have a choice.)

Wilbur spoke, his voice shaking but just as powerful as it always was. He stared the crowd down and he didn’t let go of Tommy for a second.

“You will let us leave.”

And then Tommy was pulled away from his home, away from _Tubbo,_ and into the forest.

The crackle of fire could still be heard in the distance but all three of the boys were focused on the man on the forest floor, bleeding out in front of them. In the faces of all three of them, there was terror.

“What do we do?”

Wordlessly, Wilbur pulled his bag off his back and sorted through it wildly. He pulled out bandages and had Techno pull the man’s shirt up so he could get to the wound.

(The bullet had gone straight through. The boys didn’t understand how lucky they were, how lucky _Phil_ was.)

After it was bandaged, they waited.

It was all they could do.

They wouldn’t leave Phil behind.

“Hey, kids, why are you crying?”

Home was a concept they understood, even if it had taken them a long time to do so. Home was each other. Home was Phil telling them stories about where they came from. It was Wilbur singing, unafraid of his own voice. It was Techno learning that he was more than his own power. It was Tommy laughing and being comfortable with himself even when the world wasn’t.

(It was Tubbo, saving them.)

The world was cruel. Even in a world where people weren’t divided because of their kind, there would always be prejudice. There would always be a hatred against those that weren’t like them – against those that couldn’t be understood. It was for this reason that the people that were pushed away stood together, no matter the cost.

Phil didn’t regret protecting his kids– not even for a second. The pain had been worth every second he had given them, and he had been so, _so_ relieved when his eyes had opened and he had seen them safe and unharmed. Some things couldn’t be replaced.

Their house was gone, now, left to smoke and ashes.

Left behind were items that would always be remembered but could never be recovered. It hurt to think about, but Phil knew they had been lucky.

Leaving Tubbo behind was a hard decision. Tommy had been upset about it even though he understood the reason. He had only accepted it when Phil had calmly explained to him that Tubbo would be safe, that Tubbo would be okay and that the mob wouldn’t hurt him.

(Tubbo was human, after all.)

They left the forest and their old house behind. Tommy was able to guide them out before the sound of the villagers was able to even reach them once. None of them asked Tommy why he knew these paths. No one had the heart to when he looked as heartbroken as he did.

They found a beach.

It was secluded. There was a broken down, forgotten shack that looked years old. It was empty but it was enough. It was _enough._

Phil watched Wilbur try out the water, a delighted smile on his face despite the fear etched into his being and the paranoia he carried with him constantly. His fingers played a guitar that no longer existed, and Phil’s heart hurt for him. (Wilbur always wore his bag now.)

Phil watched as Techno started on a new farm on the grassland just past the sand. There was a fire in his eyes that hadn’t left since that day. His nightmares were worse, more frequent. (His tusks, larger than ever and dangerous, had not disappeared. Phil didn’t think they ever would.)

Phil watched Tommy run about the beach, learning all the new ways around, the secret spots, and watching the stars with a longing that hurt Phil to see. (He missed Tubbo. Phil wished this was something he could do something about.)

They didn’t settle down in the shack in the beach fully until enough weeks had passed by without a sign of people. It was a slow going thing, making such an old place into a home for three wild kids and a full grown adult, but they pushed through and did it. It wasn’t the same, but it was the best they could do for the time being.

They understood now that no matter where they lived, it didn't matter as long as they had each other.

(If they held each other a little tighter, no one said anything. If the visits to Phil in the middle of the night increased, they all understood why.)

One day, one quiet, insignificant day, there was a knock on the door.

Phil went to get up, hand already on his holster, but Techno pushed him back down gently with a shake of his head. Before Phil even had a chance at stopping him, Techno was at the door, carefully opening it to peek through the gap.

They all watched as Techno stepped back in shock, hands falling away from the door. And they watched as the door was pushed open from the other side and a young, brunette boy peered in at them.

Tommy shot out of his chair and was hugging the boy before anyone could even get a single word out.

Home was each other.

(Tommy looked at his family. Techno and Wilbur and Phil stood at the doorway of their home, smiling at him. They couldn’t look more proud. Tommy held tight to a backpack and smiled back at them brightly.

He looked to his side. Tubbo, a matching backpack on his own back, looked back at him. Tubbo took hold of Tommy’s hand.

“You ready for your first day at a real school, Tommy?”

Tommy laughed, tail flailing happily behind him.

“Of course I am, big man. Are you?”

Tubbo grinned back.

“Yeah!”

Phil laughed and both boys turned towards him.

“You boys better get going! You don’t want to be late, do you?”

The boys let out gasps of horror and took off.

Phil looked to his two oldest sons who were watching after their youngest brothers as they disappeared into the distance.

“You think they’ll be okay?” Phil asked.

Wilbur turned away from where Tommy and Tubbo had left towards, and picked up his guitar from where it was leaning against a wall. He sat down on the sand, and patted the ground next to him.

Techno and Phil sat down beside him.

Wilbur played a simple tune, eyes closed and a smile on his face. Techno leaned his head against Wilbur’s shoulder, and listened to his brother's words.

“They’ll be just fine. After all, they’re monsters aren’t they?”)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> it’s been a journey, but we’re finally at the end. i really, really hope you enjoyed. it’s been so much fun writing this, and i’m so very glad that so many people have read it and enjoyed it just as much as i have. it means the absolute world to me, and i couldn't do it without all of you there to support me.
> 
> from the bottom of my heart, thank you.
> 
> Thank you.
> 
> (Edit: thank you so, so very much for 10K hits. that’s insane! i don’t know why, but i do know that i’m incredibly thankful to everyone that has read it. to anyone looking for more of my stuff, i’m @fitzmaplecourt on twitter. i post updates on what i’m currently writing there!
> 
> once again. thank you for everything.)


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